Starlight Glimmer: [voice fades under] Difference is frustration. To excel is to fail.

Pinkie Pie: Hey, this is pretty good!

Starlight Glimmer: [under] Be your best by never being your best.

Twilight Sparkle: Ugh, we've gotta find a way out of here! I can't take much more of that voice!

Rarity: Oh, this is horrible! [crying]

Fluttershy: There, there, Rarity... It's not so bad...

Rarity: Yes, it is! Look at those drapes! I have no idea if they're tacky or not!

Fluttershy: Well, I think they're nice.

[pulsing noise]

Rarity: [crying] So do I!

[bird tweets]

Fluttershy: Oh, thank goodness! Can you help us, little birdie?

[bird tweets]

[pulsing noise]

Fluttershy: Go on, now! Fly away and get us help!

[bird tweets]

Fluttershy: Oh, even tweets don't make sense any more!

Applejack: [grunts] This door's shut tighter than a... summer of...

[pulsing noise]

Applejack: ...uh, piglets in... shoot! I can't even make countryisms no more!

Pinkie Pie: I don't know! Maybe it'll be super fun to be all the same!

[pulsing noise]

Pinkie Pie: Sort of. More pleasant than fun, I guess...

Twilight Sparkle: Something odd about that staff. I haven't studied Eastern unicorns as much as I should have, but I'm pretty sure Meadowbrook only had eight magical items, not nine. And I don't remember any of them being a staff.

Applejack: Well, it looks like you'll have plenty of time to try to think about it.

Starlight Glimmer: [fading up, echoing] ...Choose equality as your special talent. Difference is frustration. To excel is to fail. Be your best by never being your best. Conformity will set you free. Accept your limitations, and happiness will follow. You're no better than your friends. [abruptly fades back under]

Twilight Sparkle: I've got it!

Rest of main cast: [exclamations of surprise]

Twilight Sparkle: I know how we can get out!

Rainbow Dash: [sighs] Forget it, Twilight. This door's not opening.

Rarity: And I'm afraid the windows are much too small for escape.

Twilight Sparkle: But there is a third way.

Pinkie Pie: Of course! Eventually the wind and the weather will wear down the walls until they start to crumble! Then all we have to do is wait for a big enough hole to form and we can just walk out! It's the perfect plan!

[pulsing noise]

Pinkie Pie: I guess.

Twilight Sparkle: We don't actually have to escape. They'll just let us out when they think we've accepted their philosophy!

Applejack: But they're never gonna believe we switched over in just one night.

Twilight Sparkle: There's one of us they might believe.

[beat]

Fluttershy: Oh! Me?!

Rainbow Dash: You've been saying how great this place is since we got here!

Fluttershy: But that's because everypony's so nice and their village is so pretty, and, and... Oh, you're right. They probably would believe me. I hate to lie to them. They've been so welcoming and friendly... aside from locking us in here and trying to brainwash us into abandoning the things that make us special... Okay. I'll do it.

Pinkie Pie: Woo-hoo! I mean, cool.

Fluttershy: But what do I do once I'm out?

Twilight Sparkle: You've gotta find a way to get our cutie marks back.

Fluttershy: [gulping]

[loudspeaker feedback]

Starlight Glimmer: [over loudspeaker] Oh, good morning!

[door opens]

Starlight Glimmer: I trust you had a pleasant night? This way, please. There are some friends who'd like to see you. Gather round, friends, gather round! We've come to ask if any of you are ready to join us! There are so many friends to be made once you realize you don't need your cutie marks or the talents that come with them.

Double Diamond: We have a welcome ceremony for new friends! The whole village joins together to build you your own cottage—

Rainbow Dash: Not interested! You may have them now, but we're going to get our cutie marks back!

Applejack: Y'all don't understand, do ya? You can't force nopony to be friends! It don't work like that!

"Sunny Song": Please, join us!

"Rosemary": We love new friends!

Starlight Glimmer: It's all right, everypony. This is a perfectly normal part of the equalization process for those who haven't... quite seen the light yet. We'll try again tomorrow once you've had a bit more time to consider our philosophy!

Fluttershy: I'd like to join!

[ponies chattering]

Twilight Sparkle: Fluttershy? How could you?!

Fluttershy: If giving up my cutie mark means I get to stay in this lovely village with these lovely ponies, then I'll do it.

[door shuts]

Starlight Glimmer: We have a new friend, everypony!

[ponies chattering]

Starlight Glimmer: Now, there's one more order of business. It seems some in our midst might be... dissatisfied with the village life!

[ponies gasping]

Starlight Glimmer: Unfortunately, it's all too true, my friends! [to Fluttershy] Will you kindly tell us the names of those friends who so desperately miss their cutie marks that they would sneak around in the shadows talking to strangers about it? Just so we can be sure your intentions are indeed pure.

Starlight Glimmer: Nonsense! Obviously these ponies must have asked you directly. Kindly point them out!

Party Favor: It was me! It was only me! But I only wanted it back for a little while!

Starlight Glimmer: And you're quite certain it was only you?

Party Favor: I just wanted to remember what it was like.

Starlight Glimmer: And no thought to the pain you'd cause your friends. Such selfishness.

Party Favor: I'm sorry, everypony! I never wanted to leave the village! I love all of—

[door shuts]

Party Favor: What was I thinking?! I can't believe I even considered asking for my cutie mark back.

Rainbow Dash: Don't worry. Fluttershy will have us out of here in no time!

Party Favor: Didn't you see what just happened out there?! Your friend has accepted our way! You will all accept our way! It's only a matter of time!

Rainbow Dash: This guy's a barrel of laughs.

Pinkie Pie: [flatly] Laughs don't come in barrels. They come from inside you as your body's response to delight.

Applejack: [hushed] So what are we gonna do while Fluttershy's out there lookin' for our [whispering] cutie marks?

Twilight Sparkle: We have to stay as positive as we can. If Party Favor sees how much we really do like each other, even though we're all different, maybe we can use him to spread our message to the rest of the village.

Starlight Glimmer: Come. All new friends stay with me until their cottage is completed. Let's get you settled, and then you can enjoy all that our little village has to offer.

[rumbling]

Fluttershy: [coughing] Brrrrrr! [sighs] Get the cutie marks back. That's all you've gotta do, Fluttershy. Just sneak through the dark up to that spooky old cave with the scary magical staff and get the cutie marks back.

Party Favor: I'm sorry, Starlight! I'm sorry, everypony! I've seen the error of my ways! I never want to look at my cutie mark again!

Starlight Glimmer: It seems there's cause for celebration after all!

Crowd: Hooray! [cheering]

Party Favor: They tried to break me! They wouldn't stop talking about how different they are, and that somehow makes their friendship stronger!

Starlight Glimmer: Such backwards thinking.

Party Favor: But I didn't listen! I knew what they were up to, and I didn't listen!

Starlight Glimmer: Well done, Party Favor! We welcome you back with open hooves!

Fluttershy: Um, Starlight? I think we might have one more friend joining us today.

[crowd gasps]

Starlight Glimmer: Is this true?

Twilight Sparkle: I-I think so. But I just want to be sure. If I agree to leave my cutie mark in the vault, I'll really be happier?

Starlight Glimmer: Just look around! Equality has given us more happiness than you've ever known!

Twilight Sparkle: And you wouldn't let me just live here in the village with my old cutie mark?

Starlight Glimmer: Out of the question. A pony with a different cutie mark in our midst would destroy our entire philosophy. We are all equal here!

[crowd muttering]

Fluttershy: Then how do you explain this?!

[splash]

Starlight Glimmer: I knew you couldn't be trusted! No! Get away!

[crowd gasps]

Starlight Glimmer: Wha... What are you looking at?! They're the problem, not me!

Party Favor: How could you?

Double Diamond: You said cutie marks were evil! You said special talents led to pain and heartache!

Starlight Glimmer: They do! Don't you see?! Look at them!

Sugar Belle: Then why? Why did you take ours and not give up your own?

Starlight Glimmer: I... I had to, you fools! How could I collect your cutie marks without my magic?!

Night Glider: But the staff has all the magic we need!

Starlight Glimmer: The staff is a piece of wood I found in the desert! It's my magic that makes all this possible! You'd all still be living your miserable lives thinking you're better than everypony else if it weren't for my magical abilities! I brought you friendship! I brought you equality! I created harmony!

Double Diamond: You lied to us!

Starlight Glimmer: So what? E-Everything else I said is true! The only way to be happy is if we're all equal!

Party Favor: Except for you.

Twilight Sparkle: Everypony has unique talents and gifts, and when we share them with each other, that's how rea—

Starlight Glimmer: QUIET!

Sugar Belle: You can't have a cutie mark, Starlight! Either we're all equal, or none of us are!

[door shuts]

Double Diamond: Come on! Let's get our cutie marks back!

Crowd: Yeah! [shouted agreement]

Rainbow Dash: Come on! Let's go get our cutie marks!

Fluttershy: Our cutie marks aren't in the vault! They're in there with her!

[pounding]

Double Diamond: Stand back, everypony!

[glass cracking]

[magical zaps]

Rarity: Even without my cutie mark, I can tell this is beautiful!

Starlight Glimmer: They think they can come to my village and disrupt my life? Let's see how they like spending the rest of their lives without their precious cutie marks!

Applejack: [grunting]

Rarity: [grunting]

[whistling]

Night Glider: Stand back, everypony!

[crunch]

[glass breaks]

[door opens]

Fluttershy: They're gone! They were right over there!

Rainbow Dash: Look!

Party Favor: [blows up balloon]

[balloon squeaking]

Party Favor: She's headed for the pass! If she makes it into those mountains, we'll never find her!

Starlight Glimmer: Are you all so willing to give up everything because of these strangers?!

[snow thudding]

Sugar Belle: We gave up everything for you, because we thought you were our friend!

Rainbow Dash: I can't believe we have to count on these other ponies to save our cutie marks!

Twilight Sparkle: If we hadn't come here to help them, they'd still be living under her rules! Now it's their turn to help us!

Fluttershy: And I know they can do it!

Sugar Belle: My newest recipe – snow pie!

[thud]

[explosion]

[balloon squeaking]

[balloons stretching]

Rainbow Dash: She's gonna get away!

Double Diamond: Whoa! These are my old skis! This is where I first met Starlight!

Night Glider: Maybe you can reminisce another time! She's almost to the caves!

Double Diamond: Feel like an air drop?

[skiing noises]

[snow thudding]

[glass breaking]

[magical zaps]

Applejack: Yee-haw! Finally, I can buck like a five-bit snake herder in an Appleloosa ranch house again!

Fluttershy: And you got your countryisms back, too!

[magic zap]

Starlight Glimmer: Wh– I studied that spell for years! How can you—

Twilight Sparkle: I studied magic for years too! But what I didn't know then was that studying could only take me so far. Each of my friends has taught me something different about myself! It was their unique gifts and passions and personalities that helped bring out the magic inside of me! I never would have learned that I represent the element of magic without these five! And I certainly wouldn't be here to stop you now!

Starlight Glimmer: Spare me your sentimental nonsense! I gave these ponies real friendships they never could've had otherwise!

Double Diamond: How do you know that?! You never even gave us a chance!

[magic zap]

Rainbow Dash: She's getting away!

Double Diamond: We'll never find her in there!

Twilight Sparkle: We just have to hope that when she's had a chance to think it over, she realizes that you all have taught her something.

Party Favor: It's you who have taught us something. We all came to this village because we were searching for something missing from our lives. We thought Starlight had given it to us, but now... now it seems it was in front of us all along. It's us!

Twilight Sparkle: Does that mean you'll stay in the village?

Night Glider: It's our home. I'm not going anywhere.

Double Diamond: This is a chance for all of us to get to know each other again for the very first time!

Sugar Belle: And I finally have a chance to bake something besides terrible muffins!

All: [laughing]

[ponies laughing and chattering]

[Wilhelm scream]

Pinkie Pie: Now those are real smiles.

[cutie marks pulsing]

Applejack: I'll never get used to that.

Rarity: I think it's divine.

Fluttershy: Does that mean that the map is calling us somewhere else?

Twilight Sparkle: I have a feeling it means our work here is done.

Applejack: Looks like you were right, Twilight. The map did have a reason for sendin' us here. We brought real friendship to these here ponies. Guess that's why you're the Princess of Friendship.

Twilight Sparkle: But the map didn't send me. It sent us. You're a part of me, all of you. And there's no doubt you're a part of my mission to spread friendship too.

Main cast: [laughing]

Pinkie Pie: This feels like an ending! It doesn't have to be an ending yet, right? 'Cause that Sugar Belle can bake!